Signal pickup return mechanism

Abstract

In a system for playing back prerecorded information from a disc record by a signal pickup mounted in a support housing, a signal pickup return mechanism is provided. The support housing is reciprocably mounted in the player cover by a suitable bearing. A drive mechanism drives the support housing radially inward in order to facilitate tracking of the disc record by the signal pickup. An extendible cord is provided with its ends attached to the base and the cover of the player. The cord extends when the cover is raised from the base. A leaf spring, with an open-ended slot, is attached to the support housing. The cord is threaded through the open-ended slot. A clamp secured to the cord is subject to engagement with the support housing, and is effective only in causing radially outward movement of the support housing. The clamp urges the support housing to return to a rest position when the cover is raised from the base.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a playback system including a base and a cover, a turntable mounted for rotation relative to said base, said turntable having a surface adapted for receiving a disc record, said disc record having a spiral groove with information recorded therein, a support housing carrying a signal pickup, and said signal pickup subject to positioning in relation to said spiral groove for scanning said information; a signal pickup return mechanism comprising: bearing means for reciprocably supporting to-and-fro motion of said support housing over said turntable;   drive means for causing radially inward motion of said support housing for scanning of said information by said signal pickup;   extendible cord means having its ends respectively secured to said base and said cover, wherein said cord means extend as said cover is lifted away from said base; and   engaging means affixed to said extendible cord means to the exclusion of said support housing; and   wherein the location of said engaging means relative to said support housing is such that said engaging means is (1) subject to engagement with said support housing during radially outward motion of said engaging means as said cover is lifted away from said base, said engaging means being effective only in causing radially outward movement of said support housing, and (2) subject to disengagement from said support housing during radially inward motion of said support housing when said cover is closed, said engaging means permitting without hindrance radially inward movement of said support housing when said cover remains closed, while urging said support housing to return to a rest position as said cover is lifted away from said base.   
     
     
       2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said cord has a first portion which is extendible and a second portion which is relatively inelastic. 
     
     
       3. A system as defined in claim 2 wherein said first portion comprises a spring. 
     
     
       4. A system as defined in claim 3 further including a stop for consistently locating said support housing at a predetermined position at the termination of radially outward motion of said support housing. 
     
     
       5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said bearing means is secured to said cover. 
     
     
       6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said bearing means is secured to said base. 
     
     
       7. In a playback system including a base and a cover, a turntable mounted for rotation relative to said base, said turntable having a surface adapted for receiving a disc record, said disc record having a spiral groove with information recorded therein, a support housing carrying a signal pickup, and said signal pickup subject to positioning in relation to said spiral groove for scanning said information; a signal pickup return mechanism comprising: bearing means for supporting reciprocal motion of said support housing toward and away from a rest position; said bearing means being oriented so that said reciprocal motion of said housing results in motion of said signal pickup along a path radially disposed with respect to the center of said turntable;   selectively actuated drive means for causing motion of said support housing on said bearing means only in a direction away from said rest position; said driving means providing, when actuated, radially inward travel of said signal pickup to effect said scanning of said information;   extendible cord means having its ends respectively secured to said base and said cover; wherein said cord means extend as said cover is lifted away from said base; and   engaging means affixed to said extendible cord means to the exclusion of said support housing; said engaging means subject to motion between first and second locations along a path lying parallel to said radially disposed signal pickup path in response to movement of said cover with respect to said base; said engaging means occupying said first location when said cover is in a closed position and occupying said second location when said cover is in an open position;   the location of said path for said engaging means being disposed relative to said support housing in such manner that said engaging means: (1) is subject to engagement with said support housing during motion of said engaging means from said first location to said second location, when said cover is moved from said closed position to said open position in the instance of absence of said support housing from said rest position, to cause movement of said support housing toward said rest position; (2) is subject to disengagement from said support housing during motion of said engaging means for said second location to said first location, when said cover is moved from said open position to said closed position, so that closure of said cover may be effected without disturbance of the position of said support housing; and (3) remains disengaged from said support housing during radial inward travel of said support housing under closed cover conditions, until the terminal portion of such travel.   
     
     
       8. A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said bearing means is secured to said cover; said system including a stop for establishing said rest position for said support housing in a location aligning said signal pickup with a peripheral region of said turntable subject to covering by the initial convolution of said spiral groove when said disc record is received thereby.